Artistic norms might counteract these basic perceptual processes, but it is more likely that they are in line with basic perceptual and emotional processes and biases. Specifically, we examine basic perceptual processes that presumably have not changed significantly over the centuries. We are not as concerned with the technical aspects of art production per se, but the plausible detection of artistic intentions and reception of artworks in the past. Similar work has gained recent attention in experimental archeology (e.g., Coles, 2010 Ferguson, 2010), where hypotheses about the past are investigated through the production and use of tools and objects in the present. In this article, we examine the possibility to test hypotheses about art production in the past by collecting data in the present. Our findings indicate that many factors affect the impression of a face, and that eye contact in combination with face direction reinforce the general impression of portraits, rather than determine it. Two control studies, using a Brazilian and a Dutch database of photographs, showed a similar but weaker effect with a larger contrast between the gaze directions for profiles. Does this help to associate positive values to the Holy Face in a Western context? The formal result indicates that the Holy Face is perceived more positively than profiles with both direct and averted gaze. We observed that frontal faces with direct gaze were more highly associated with positive adjectives. We present three experiments on the effects of face orientation and gaze direction on the judgments of social attributes. In particular, different sub-regions of the amygdala show specific activation as response to gaze direction, head orientation and the valence of facial expression. Activity in this pathway mediates the affective valence of the stimulus. The fast-track modulator model presents a related fast and unconscious subcortical route that involves many central brain areas. The perceived face and gaze direction is also related to fundamental emotional reactions such as fear, aggression, empathy and sympathy. One uniquely human capacity is language acquisition, where the detection of shared or joint attention, for example through detection of gaze direction, contributes significantly to the ease of acquisition. ![]() ![]() ![]() Why did medieval artists prefer to paint Christ with his face directed towards the beholder, while profane faces were noticeably more often painted in different degrees of profile? Is a preference for frontal faces motivated by deeper evolutionary and biological considerations? Head and gaze direction is a significant factor for detecting the intentions of others, and accurate detection of gaze direction depends on strong contrast between a dark iris and a bright sclera, a combination that is only found in humans among the primates. We call this enterprise “experimental art history”. This article explores the possibility of testing hypotheses about art production in the past by collecting data in the present. 4Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.3Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.2Department of Art and Media Studies, Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.1Department of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.Folgerø 1 Lasse Hodne 2 Christer Johansson 1 Alf E.
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